Birds destroy and contaminate valuable crops, leave unsightly messes on and beneath roosting areas, and damage and corrode equipment finishes and electrical connections in stored machinery in equipment sheds, barns, and other structures. In addition to being unpleasant and destructive, their droppings can also pose a health hazard.
A method of abating bird damage is the use of predator effigies such as owls, snakes, and scarecrows. The success of these effigies has been very limited as birds, after an initial fright response, can and do quickly determine that these effigies are not real predators. The effective life of these effigies is typically measured in days, if not hours.
Another method of abatement is the use of irritant bird repellents. These repellents are applied either by spraying, coating or fogging the crop, structure or area from which birds are to be excluded. While generally effective, these repellents can affect taste, and as a result cannot be used on such crops as wine grapes. In addition, no currently available approved repellent is organically certified, so they cannot be applied to organically grown crops. Thus, yields for such crops are often diminished, which results in higher prices. On or within structures, repellents can take a significant amount of time to exclude birds, and repellents typically dissipate before they can be effective, requiring time consuming and expensive re-treatment. Further, repellent residue can build up on valuable crops, structures or equipment, which may act to attract airborne debris. Overall, a need exists for improved devices and techniques for bird abatement.